The police said that the complainant approached them on Saturday and lodged an FIR against the accused Ishan Patel.
(Representational Photo) The Amboli police on Sunday arrested a 22-year-old man for allegedly blackmailing and extorting a minor girl — who he befriended on Instagram — into giving him cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 2.5 lakh.
The accused was produced before a sessions court and remanded in police custody for a day. Someshwar Kamthe, senior inspector of Amboli police, confirmed the arrest.
The police said that the complainant approached them on Saturday and lodged an FIR against the accused Ishan Patel.
She first saw him at a party and they became friends on Instagram in February this year. As their friendship grew, the girl shared her personal information and some photos with him, the police said.
Patel allegedly started blackmailing her, threatening to leak the information and photos and harm her parents. The minor got scared and ended up giving cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 2.5 lakh. However, Patel kept demanding more, after which she decided to tell her parents and approach the police.
An FIR was registered under sections 384 (extortion), 509 (insulting modesty of woman by word or gesture or any act) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC and section 12 (sexual harassment of a child) of POCSO act and section 67 A (transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the IT Act.
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